Ottawa is earmarking $574 million in funding for 19 research projects to help Canada be prepared for future health emergencies, with a focus on vaccine development, government officials say.
The money will be used to fund projects at 14 research institutions across the country, said Soraya Martinez Ferrada, the minister responsible for the Economic Development Agency of Canada. Included in the funded projects is the construction of a new bio-manufacturing centre at Ottawa Hospital that will develop and manufacture vaccines, gene therapies, and cell therapies.
“The projects that we’re supporting today will strengthen our ability to supply medicines, vaccines and therapeutics for the benefit of Canadians,” Ms. Martinez Ferrada said in a May 6 press release. “These collaborations between research hubs, postsecondary institutions and research hospitals will foster innovation across the country.”
Another such project is a national network of existing emergency departments and primary-care clinics that will screen for any new viruses or pathogens that start to appear in patients.
Project lead Dr. Andrew Pinto of St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto said it will be a “coast-to-coast shield” to help protect Canadians.
The network will also include other research institutions and companies in the biomedical industry that can quickly respond to early detection of dangerous viruses by making vaccines and treatments.
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The government said it is investing in “research, talent and infrastructure projects” to give Canadians access to “made-in-Canada vaccines, therapeutics and other life-saving medicines and innovations.”
Other projects receiving funding will work toward increased antibody discovery and therapeutics production as well as the development and optimization of self-amplifying RNA vaccines, the government said. Goals include establishing better rapid diagnostic tools that can identify emerging pathogens and leveraging artificial intelligence and other technologies to study how different bacteria react to chemicals, with the goal of developing new antibiotics.
The funding will also be used to establish a national maternal-child health resource for disease surveillance and pandemic preparedness.
The projects were chosen based on submissions made to the Canada Biomedical Research Fund (CBRF) and Biosciences Research Infrastructure Fund.
“The research funded through the CBRF will position Canada as a global leader in the biomanufacturing and life sciences sector,” said Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada president Ted Hewitt.
“Most importantly, today’s investment will ensure that our nation’s brightest researchers and scientists are at the forefront of vaccine and therapeutic discoveries that will drive Canadian industry and equip Canada with the capacity to respond quickly and effectively to future pandemics.”
The Canadian Press contributed to this report.
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